Another moment to absorb .... or not

I love it ....

Almost as a follow-up ( that is a newspaper term, for those who are unaware, for a story or stories published a day or two or three after the original story) to my post from a few days ago, here is a rendition of George Harrison's song, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

This is from a tribute medley to him at his second induction (all the Beatles were selected as a group in 1987) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Harrison died from cancer in 2001 at the age of fifty-eight.

The two singing this near-perfect song are Tom Petty (the Heartbreakers) and Jeff Lynne (ELO), who, once upon a time, along with Harrison, were members of the Traveling Wilburys. Replacing Harrison in the group on this night was his son, Danny. Also absent was Roy Orbison, who had a good excuse. He was dead, too, back in 1988 at the age of fifty-two from a heart attack.

Another from the Wilburys, Bob Dylan, did not participate, and should be whipped for his absence. (Yes, I mean that. I am as hard core as they come, but there are such things as honor, duty, respect, friendship and love in this world.) Dylan probably as off somewhere trying to spawn another child or two. (He is from Minnesota, so it hurts a bit to write that, although while some of his music was great, he really was/is a lousy singer.)

For those who are (again) unaware or who have short memories, one of my previous incarnations included playing the role of a newspaper arts critic, which (while I did it) centered on books, stage plays and films, but also included all manner of music, operas, paintings/prints, photography and you name it.

I love rock and roll and the Beatles (where real modern music began, in my mind), and the Rolling Stones, and Boston, and the Scorpions, and The Who, and Derek and the Dominos, and Metallica, and Styx, and Dokken, and Heart, and a hundred others.

This song is truly wondrous, to my way of thinking. I love the way a couple of the Traveling Wilbury's, Petty and Lynne, sing it. I love the way Harrison's son loses it during the performance. I love it even though Prince, another guy from Minnesota (You never knew so much talent came from Minnesota, did you?), hams it up as he plays sort of a guitar solo toward the end. Harrison's son obviously loves it, too, which is the most important element here.

I love the way Prince throws his guitar away as the song comes to its close. Never again will he play it. The moment has come and gone -- forever. What is life other than a series of moments, come and gone -- forever? Never mind. I do not really care any longer. Too many moments -- or whatever.

Mainly, I love this song and this performance, I think, because when I was about the age of Harrison's son I was carrying a rifle instead of a guitar. Luck of the draw, I guess. I love it because, although I envy George and Danny Harrison, I am happy for them for living life as they wanted it.

We all have to be someplace doing something, and I never have been sorry about where I was at any given point in time or what I was doing then because it was where I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing at that particular stage. Sometimes, like right now for me, there is a bridge that seems to be taking a long, long time to cross, but it is part of the road which has been mapped out in advance of the journey. Hindsight is for the weak ....

Some years ago, I read a line: "Where there is beauty, so shall I be."

I cannot recall where or when or what this line was from, but I remember the moment it was on paper before my eyes and I was reading it.

What the hell. It could be I did not read it; possibly, I wrote it.

Time to run .... there is music to enjoy and another moment to absorb .... or not.